After the Rain II

Freedom comes on sunny summer saturdays

Papa is working

breaking his back

in the sweltering sun

raising tents

in clients’ yards

tackling

overhanging branches

dodging

mosquitoes and yellow caterpillars

that leak

a ghastly orange goo when popped.

Fenced

into strangers’ backyards

he arranges their outdoors for the fetes

he’ll never see

for a fee

that’ll keep him free

during the months

when the ground is frozen

and nobody expects such festivities.